
Menopause and Vaginal Dryness
Lower levels of estrogen often mean vaginal dryness after menopause. Learn what you can do to minimize symptoms and treat vaginal dryness.
Dec 14, 2016
Oct 05, 2020
Menopause & Aging WellSheryl Kraft, a freelance writer and breast cancer survivor, was born in Long Beach, New York. She currently lives in Connecticut with her husband Alan and dog Chloe, where her nest is empty of her two sons Jonathan. Sheryl writes articles and essays on breast cancer and contributes to a variety of publications and websites where she writes on general health and wellness issues. She earned her MFA in writing from Sarah Lawrence College in 2005.
Full BioLearn about our editorial policies
This article has been archived. We will no longer be updating it. For our most up-to-date information, please visit our menopause hub here.
I'm not going to beat around the bush. (OK, I realize that is a not-so-funny pun.)
Why not get right to the point? Menopause brings many changes, and one of the peskiest is a change in the way your vagina feels, which can lead to itchiness, dryness, irritation (which can even lead to bleeding) and trouble with intercourse.
Blame estrogen—or a lack thereof.
So many women remain silent about this, too embarrassed to bring it up to their health care providers. And so many health care providers stay silent about it. Maybe they are embarrassed, too—or perhaps they're unprepared or too rushed to bring it up to their patients. A recent study found that only half of postmenopausal women discuss their symptoms with their health care providers and far fewer seek treatment.
It's time to be proactive. Here's what you need to know:
Some women opt for oral estrogen hormone therapy (HT), which can help with these symptoms, but if you'd rather not go that route, there are other choices:
Read more:
Menopause and Anxiety
How's Your Pelvic Health?
This post originally appeared on mysocalledmidlife.net.